April 2013 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps & Ideas

I love this book!!

Monthly Theme: Jesus Christ Restored His Church in the Latter Days.
Monthly Scripture: "I have sent forth the fullness of my gospel by the hand of my servant Joseph"
D&C 35:17

Week 1 After Jesus Christ and His Apostles died, gospel truths were lost.

*   Bring in a plastic bag with a few tiny pieces of bread, a water bottle with only a little left and A Friend Magazine with only the front and back cover. On the board have 3 words written- famine, drought, apostasy. Invite 3 children to come up front and choose an item, then stand by the word on the board it matches. Have them explain the meanings of the words. What do all 3 words have to do with each other?
     Amos 8:11-12 "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it."
    Draw a simple picture of a person with a big belly. We are commanded to nourish our spirits, so let's pretend this is our spirit. What are things we can do to feed our spirit? What are some gospel principles that help our spirit grow? Write the children's answers in the belly. Does this spirit look like it's been through a famine or a drought? But if we take all these things away (erase all the words in the belly), that's what the apostasy was, then what do we get? Draw a stick figure. Who's glad The Church was restored?!?!

*   Invite a primary friend up front and blindfold them. Make sure they can't see! Would it be OK to leave them blindfolded the rest of primary? What about the rest of the day? What about the rest of their lives? Ask the friend how they feel... or how they would feel to be blind for a long time? Darkness is not fun. I still sleep with a night light!!! Did you know that the earth was covered in darkness for a really long time? Does that mean that there wasn't sunshine?
     "The Holy Priesthood had been withdrawn from the earth. The power of godliness was no longer present in the Christian Church. Thus there was a complete falling away from the gospel which had been established by the Son of Man. The Church lay in darkness, and the darkness enveloped the earth. This spiritual darkness continued for hundreds and hundreds of years” (Milton R. Hunter, “The Missionary Assignment,” Improvement Era, Dec. 1951, 920).
     Have a mini-white board/ dry erase board. Invite primary friends to come up front, one at a time, and share a gospel principle, something that Jesus taught. Have them write down the principle or you write it for them, then have them cover the word with a black cloth. The black cloth is what the apostasy was. When Joseph Smith restored Christ's church, there was light again! Have the child take off the cloth. Repeat a few times with different children and the principles they come up with.

* Come up to the front of the room really frazzled. Tell the children that you have lost something. This is just horrible!!! Pull your hair, sigh, put your hand on your head... you are so sad! You are so confused... you just don't know what to do. See if anyone will volunteer to help you. If not, ask if there is anyone who thinks they can help. Invite one primary friend up. Have a small picture of Joseph Smith on some string they can wear around their neck. In the room, have a small shoe box with a picture of a church building on the outside. On the inside have things that represent gospel principles, or things Christ taught while on earth. Once the primary friend has found the item, give them a big hug!! Hooray!!! It's no longer lost!!!
      “This is not a continuous church, nor is it one that has been reformed or redeemed. It has been restored after it was lost. It was lost—the gospel with its powers and blessings—sometime after the Savior’s crucifixion and the loss of his apostles. The laws were changed, the ordinances were changed, and the everlasting covenant was broken that the Lord Jesus Christ gave to his people in those days. There was a long period of centuries when the gospel was not available to people on this earth, because it had been changed” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 423).
     Invite friends to come up and pick an item from the box and talk about what it might mean. After you go through all the items write APOSTASY on the board and ask the children to tell their neighbors what they learned today about that word. Tell them they get 100 points if they go home and tell their family what the word means!!!! (If they ask you what points will get them, tell them it's knowledge points and the more knowledge points you have the more awesome a missionary you'll be!!!)

* Who here likes to do puzzles? Have a simple 10 piece puzzle for someone to do... except have 3 pieces missing. Is the puzzle complete?
       "In many ways the gospel of Jesus Christ is like a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. When Joseph Smith came on the scene, perhaps 100 pieces were in place. Then Joseph Smith came along and put many of the other 900 pieces in place so that people could say, “Oh, now I understand where I came from, why I am here, and where I am going.” As for Joseph Smith’s role in the Restoration, the Lord defined it clearly: “This generation shall have my word through you” (D&C 5:10)." Tad R. Callister Ensign October 2009 Joseph Smith- Prophet of the Restoration
    Invite the children to draw a picture of a gospel truth restored. Have them cut it into a few pieces to take home and work with a family member to put it back together again. See if they can trick the family member and have a missing piece! Then they can explain to their family member how it's like the restoration of the gospel!!

Week 2 Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith.

* HERE is a great video!! It's a little long though... 20 minutes. At the 10 minute mark it starts with James 1:5, so if you wanted to show the kids, that might be a good place to start!!

*   Sing the song Hinges. (CS page 277) What happens if we didn't have hinges? Have the children look at a door. What would happen to the door if it didn't have it's hinges? It'd fall down and crash right?!?
    President Gordon B. Hinckley taught: “This glorious First Vision … was the parting of the curtain to open this, the dispensation of the fulness of times. Nothing on which we base our doctrine, nothing we teach, nothing we live by is of greater importance than this initial declaration. I submit that if Joseph Smith talked with God the Father and His Beloved Son, then all else of which he spoke is true. This is the hinge on which turns the gate that leads to the path of salvation and eternal life.”
(Ensign, Nov. 1998, p. 71)
     A hinge holds things together and helps it move along. Having a testimony of Joseph Smith's First Vision is very important!! Without it, we might crack!! Without it, we might fall down like a door without hinges for support!!
    If possible, bring in a hinge. Have the primary children pass it around to Restoration piano music. When it stops, the person can answer a question or read a scripture having to do with the restoration.
Reverence tip: I might be nuts, but it seems to me that children don't sing while passing along items. Also, the way chairs are set up, there is confusion on the ends of the aisles. Solution? Possibly. Invite about 6-8 primary friends up front to stand in a circle. Primary friends who are willing to pass reverently and respectfully while everyone sings. That way you are losing fewer voices. You're getting lots of children out of their chairs and everyone is less confused.

From Previous Posts:
* HERE is a link to the lds.org where you can find different artistic depictions of The First Vision. (Make sure to scroll down) They are beautiful!  Have the children draw their own artwork of that glorious event and share!

* HERE is a link for cutouts that children can color to retell for Family Home Evening about Joseph Smith's First Vision.

* President Uchtdorf shares his testimony of Joseph Smith and personal story when he was a boy. Click Here to read. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The First Vision,” Friend, Jun 2008, 2–3) Share the story and take the above picture from the Nursery Manual. With a pen, draw slanted lines to make it into a mosaic like stained glass. Make a copy for each child and have them color with lots of different colors and answer the questions in the magazine article.

* 3 cheers for Diane Nichols!! She shares Grrrrrrrrrrrreat activities found here!!! (Diane Nichols, “Sharing Time: Joseph Smith—Prophet of the Restoration,” Friend, Jul 2001, 14) Especially love this quote/idea from her, "Display a bouquet of four artificial flowers and one real flower. Ask how the flowers are different from one another. Point out that the main difference is that only one is a true flower. Explain that though there are many churches in the world today, only one of them is the true Church of Jesus Christ."

Week 3 Priesthood authority was restored by heavenly messengers.

* THIS is a really good link to read. We often talk about the Keys of the Priesthood, but we need to know how to explain them. The first 2 paragraphs do that wonderfully!

* Have everyone hold up their hands. What are some things we do with hands? When children say ideas, have everyone act out with their hands. Tell them you are going to recite the 5th article of faith and leave out a word (leave out HANDS). By the raise of hand, someone can tell you what word is missing. Show them pictures of Joseph Smith receiving the Aaronic & Melchizedek... where are there hands placed? Have the children trace outlines of their hands and write or draw pictures of ways the priesthood blesses their lives. Have a few share afterwards.
 

* Has anyone ever gotten a special package before? Ask the children, "What does Heavenly Father use as His FedEx or UPS truck? If He wants to send something really special, how will He do it?" There are a myriad of answers, praise the children for whatever answers they give. Tell them, one way is by sending Heavenly Messengers.    “The keys have to be brought from heaven whenever the Gospel is sent.” Teachings of the Prophet Joseph
Smith, 157
        Here are some "heavenly" UPS trucks. Fold them in half so only the truck is showing. Ask what Heavenly Messenger brought the Aaronic Priesthood? Flip it to show the Gospel Art Book Image.
Ask questions and read scriptures about each Priesthood. If there is time remaining, get a UPS box (are they even free? if not, just make one) and invite children to write down ways The Priesthood blesses them. Read a few afterwards and share your testimony.

Priesthood by Heavenly Messengers by chulbakera

Week 4 Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon and restored gospel truths.

* Bring in a copy of the Book of Mormon in a different language. To go from English to a different language takes a lot of work!!
     "The Church contracts capable, experienced member translators who are fluent in English as well as their native tongue who possess integrity and high moral character so that the spirit of inspiration will guide their work.as in Joseph Smith’s day, the ability to translate holy writ today is a spiritual gift from God. Unlike Joseph’s day, however, many of our modern translators utilize computers and word processors, lexicons and encyclopedias to help and guide them in their sacred assignment. The modern work is extensive, and each step must be critically analyzed by Church translation experts. Yet, even with the most competent member translators and advanced technology available, the entire process, from beginning to publication, requires approximately four years.
     Now contrast the translation of the Book of Mormon by young Joseph Smith."
The Translation Miracle of The Book of Mormon by Robert K. Dellenbach Ensign April 1995... A MUST READ FOR THIS WEEK!!!!!
    The time for Joseph translating— was at an estimated average rate of eight of our printed pages per day! The total translation time was about 65 working days. (See “How long did it take Joseph Smith to translate the Book of Mormon?” Ensign, Jan. 1988, 47.)
    In your special Book of Mormon, that's in a different language, have bookmarks that the children can choose. On the bookmarks have questions, scriptures and songs have to do with Joseph Smith and the translation of the week's theme.

* Did Joseph Smith write the Book of Mormon? Who wrote the Book of Mormon? It's important to understand the meaning of translate. Invite a member of the ward to come in and share their testimony in a different language. Have another person translate what they said. The Book of Mormon was translated from reformed Egyptian to English. We don't know exactly "how" the translation happened, but that is not nearly as important as that it happened!

* Who here can read a chapter book, stop somewhere in the middle and know exactly where they left off without reading a little before or after on the page? It's pretty hard to do!!
   "Emma Smith said of the inspired process: “After meals, or after interruptions, [Joseph] would at once begin where he had left off, without either seeing the manuscript or having any portion of it read to him” (“Last Testimony of Sister Emma,” Saints’ Herald, 1 Oct. 1879, 290). One who has dictated and been interrupted must usually resume by inquiring, “Now, where were we?” Not so with the Prophet! " (By The Gift and Power of God by Elder Neal A. Maxwell Ensign January 1997)
    The translation was definitely a marvelous work and wonder!

* HERE is a great link with pictures from the history of the translation and printing of the Book of Mormon. Not to mention a good read.

LDS Scripture Reading Chart - Easter ABC's The Savior's Resurrection

What a wonderful time of the year!! My children really enjoyed reading THIS CHART from The Friend during the Christmas season. I saw THIS great Easter Scripture fill in, also from The Friend but was looking for an actual chart. So I made one. This is for personal/family use only, please do not use for commercial purposes. If you don't have a scribd.com account, I'd be more than happy to email you a PDF version.

lbumpasl (at) aol (dot) com

 

                       Happy Reading!!!

 

 

Easter ABC's, An LDS Scripture Find Chart

A little bit of "Luck"?? ... Some LDS thoughts for St. Patrick's Day

 

Take your pick of the following to plan a Family Home Evening or come up with Singing Time Ideas!!

* Little Lucky Moments a great poem by Annalise Kunzelman from the New Era.

* "Remember also that if you succeed, it isn’t because of luck. Success comes from faith and work and prayer and from constant righteous effort."
President Spencer W. Kimball Privileges and Responsibilities of Sisters Ensign October 1978

* "There is real purpose in life, boys. Your Heavenly Father has helped to provide a world for you and a life for you. It can be a notable one or it can be a casual one. That is up to you, and by the time you are 12 years of age or older, much is expected of you. You are not living in the life of luck; it is a life of pluck, a life of effort and planning. "
President Spencer W. Kimball To Bear The Priesthood Worthily Ensign April 1975

* " In every prayer that children hear, there should be thankfulness expressed for God’s hand in all things, for evidences of his presence and influence. He is the God before whom man bows; to him we make acknowledgment and to none other. We live in a world dominated by the concept of “Lady Luck.” Our children too soon learn that much of their success is attributed to being lucky or to chance.

     Parental references to whim and happenstance can easily be interpreted by children to mean that God plays second fiddle. For children to feel that God is the conductor, they need to hear their parents render unto him that which is his—the very breath of life, its essence, influence, and all-pervasiveness. Parents who themselves are filled with the consciousness of God’s hand in all things will transmit this feeling to their children."

Brother Elliott Landau How to Teach the Ten Commandments to Your Children Ensign Oct. 1973

* HERE is a talk from President Monson about several different experiences he's had that some might attribute to luck, but he knows much better! Consider the Blessings indeed!

* HERE is a story from The Friend about a boy who gets a cricket to ensure their family has good luck for a year. At the end of the story, he realizes that luck isn't as important as just being a kind person.

* HERE is a story, probably not for younger kids- unless you summarize, about a woman who realizes it's sometimes not just luck... it's the Holy Ghost prompting!!

* HERE is a story of a boy in the ocean who prays for dolphins and is saved. He knew it was not luck, but The Lord.

* HERE is a great story! An excerpt says, " At the time it recalled to my memory the days when some of us as kids carried good luck charms or a rabbit’s foot in our pockets. Or, some of us back on the farm were perhaps superstitious enough to hang horseshoes on the barn door or use a hundred and one other symbols to keep off the evil eye of failure or accident.
     I remember so well the common superstition of all ball players never to step across another player’s mitt while it lay on the ground.
     Well, I would like to give you a new one in this article, one that is guaranteed to help you throughout your entire life, every month, every day, every hour, protecting you from the bad luck episodes of your life. It is guaranteed to protect your health, make you more likable in your association with people and more successful in your job. It will insure greater success in your daily work and bring you home to your dwelling place every evening with a sense of “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”

* The word LUCK is not found anywhere in the scriptures.

* * Randomly this story, Palmer the Embalmer, yes. Awesome. Found HERE  in the New Era has nothing to do with luck BUT is a must read because it is entertaining. I've never seen a church published story that refers to teachers as "mutants" and school board members as "morons". It's rather refreshingly realistic. Say that 10 times fast. And please.... this is not meant to put down teachers or school board members, don't miss the message of the article.

* * Extra randomly, did you know Stephenie Meyers wrote an Ensign article. It's a really good one.
Found HERE.

If The Savior Stood Beside Me LDS Primary Song Help Ideas

 

Do we all know the following poem?

 

One night a man had a dream.

He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Scenes from his life flashed across the sky
and he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
one belonging to him and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life had flashed before him,
he recalled that at the lowest and saddest times of his life
there was only one set of footprints.

Dismayed, he asked, "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,
you'd walk with me all the way.
I don't understand why, when I needed you most,
you would leave me."

The Lord replied, "My precious child.
I love you and I would never leave you.

During your times of trial and suffering
when you saw only one set of footprints...

That was when I carried you."

Read the poem to the children. What do they think about it? The following are ideas to use in correlation with this poem and the song.

In D&C 78:18 The Savior says, "...Be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours."

* Have footprint shaped visuals with pictures to represent the words.

* Have a little box of sand with parts of the questions from the song on a piece of paper, children sing the missing part ( ):
If The Savior stood beside me, would I do.... (the things I do?)
Would I think..... (of His commandments and try harder to be true?)
Would I follow... (His example?)
Would I live.... (more righteously, if I could see the Savior standing nigh watching over me?)

* Have 1 child up front with a blindfold. Invite 3 others up. Have them sing part of the song. Invite the blindfolded child to guess who is standing beside them by their singing.

* Have a path of footprints, invite children to pick a footprint with a way to sing the song:
standing with heels touching
sing on tippy toes
stand shoulder to shoulder with a neighbor and sing
sing with hands making a wave motion on the beach
sing with fingers (pointer & middle) walking in the air together

* Have a walking stick. Invite a child to come up front and share a place they'd like to walk with Jesus and have Him stand with them. Have them lead a verse of the song with the stick.

March 2013 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps & Ideas

Gethsemane by Carl Bloch

Monthly Theme: Jesus Christ is our Savior.
Monthly Scripture: "Hearken ye to these words. Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world" D&C 43:34

Week 1 Jesus Christ taught the gospel and set an example for us.

*   If Jesus had a job/occupation, what would you say His job was? President Packer has said, "‘What did Jesus have as an occupation?’ There is only one answer: He was a teacher. It is He who should be our ideal. It is He who is the master teacher.” (Mine Errand from the Lord (2008), 336)
     We know Jesus is our master teacher, but what did He teach? Have a backpack filled with school supplies. If we were to go to school and were lucky enough to see our Savior up front by the blackboard, what do you think He'd say to us!! Fortunately, we have His teachings throughout the scriptures. Let children choose school supplies from the backpack with questions, scriptures and songs having to do with Jesus teaching the gospel.

*   At 12 years old, what do the primary friends see themselves doing? Some will be in Young Womens and Young Mens. Boys will have the Aaronic Priesthood and be able to pass sacrament. You might be in 6th or 7th grade. You'll probably be a little taller.
     The earliest story we have of Jesus is when He was 12 years old. Have a few primary children act out what happened when Mary & Joseph lost Jesus and found Him teaching in the temple. Even at such a young age, the Savior "...garnered knowledge by study, and gained wisdom by prayer, thought, and effort." (Elder James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. (1916), 112) He was just a little bit older than us and was teaching wise men and women triple His age!!
     While we wont be called to teach in the temple at 12, where are other places we can teach... and do we know enough about the gospel to make a good lesson? Have a paper bag with gospel principle words in it. Let children draw out words and tell/teach the primary about that principle. Have a Gospel Art Book handy to show any pictures of stories that might come up.
Words might include faith, prayer, baptism, fasting, charity, honesty, obedience, service.... etc.

* Have a basket with seeds, weeds, a bottle of mustard, coin, oil lamp, a stuffed sheep toy, a first aid kit- anything to represent the many parables Christ taught. Ask the children what all these items have to do with each other? Ask the children- what is a parable? Divide into groups and give the children items from the basket with scriptures about that parable. Invite them to come up front afterwards and share what parable they had. If there is time left, let the children write their own modern day parable!!
HERE and HERE is some background reading on parables as you prepare your lesson.

* Bring in some pictures of people you admire and are examples to you. Briefly share why. Ask the children to share some people in their lives who are good examples. Who is the greatest example? Jesus. Just like we follow His example, we're going to play a follow the directions game!! What is important when you are following? Good listening and actually doing what is said! Start at the back of the room and come up with directions for a primary child to follow to find a picture of a story from the life of Christ.
     For example, "Take 10 steps forward, jump twice and look under the front table. What is this a picture of? Jesus getting baptized! Great!! Why should we follow that example?"
     For Senior Primary, invite them to find an example from the scriptures that we should follow in Christ's life, write down the scripture and put it somewhere in the room. Then they will have to come up with their own directions for another person to find it.
2 Nephi 31:10 "And he said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?"

Recycled Ideas from Previous Posts
* FOR SENIOR PRIMARY! In the topical guide are 19 scripture references to Jesus Christ as our Exemplar. Hide the references and scriptures throughout the room and have the children work together to make matches!

*   Bring in a lantern. 3 Nephi 18:16 "And as I have prayed among you even so shall ye pray in my church, among my people who do repent and are baptized in my name. Behold I am the light; I have set an example for you."

     Who would really want to go into a dark forest without a lantern? Not me! I still sleep with a night light! Break into groups and give the children strips of yellow paper. Have them come up with different rays/ways that Jesus taught us how to live by example. (For example- Be forgiving. Jesus forgave those that crucified Him. or Be bold. Jesus cleansed the temple.) Have a picture of Jesus on the black board and attach the rays.

Week 2 Because of Christ’s Atonement, I can repent and live with God again.

*    Have a simple math problem on the board. 3+3= 9 9+1=10 10-5=5    Is this right? When we didn't fix the mistake, it threw the whole problem off and in the end we got the wrong answer!! Repentance is our eraser. It erases the mistake and helps us to fix the problem. It might seem easier to just ignore and keep on going, but in the end it wont be right. Have a mixture of math problems gone wrong and case studies where the children can fix the mistake.
      For example 1+4=9, they erase and fix 1+4=5... now please help me. Casey went on a walk. He was eating a granola bar and didn't have pockets to put his trash in. He didn't see any garbage cans and decided to throw the wrapper on the ground. First, what was his mistake? How can he repent? Yes! He needs to say a prayer to ask forgiveness, probably go outside and pick up trash to make recompense and then never do it again!!
     In the end show a picture of Jesus + Repentance = ?? Because of Christ's Atonement I can repent and live with God again!!

* "Repentance is the turning away from that which is low and the striving for that which is higher."
(David O. McKay, Gospel Ideals, 12–13) Do we shoot a basketball towards the ground? No!! We have to aim it high for the net. Invite the children to grab 2 pieces of paper and write on it mistakes people might make. Invite them to share it, crumple it up and throw it into a garbage can on a chair. We are never going to make all our shots, but because of the Atonement of Christ and repentance hopefully in the end we can get a slam dunk of eternal life!!

*   Bring in a plant. Would this plant be OK if we watered it once today and that's it? What does a plant need? Constant nourishment!!! Just like water and soil to a plant, repentance is essential to our spirit's growth!! However, there is one other very important part... the sunlight!! The light in our lives is The Savior. Without His atonement we could never even hope to grow!
     “Repentance is indispensable to the growing life, since in all growth there is constant adjustment, taking on and sloughing off. We cannot replace a bad life with a good one by any single word or act; there must be a continuing process of replacing error and wrong-doing with truth and right-doing; of going from bad to good and from good to better.…" (Hugh B. Brown, Eternal Quest, 99, 102).
     Bring in some cups, dirt and seeds. Let the children plant their own seed to help them to remember the importance of repenting often!!

* HERE is a wonderful talk in The Friend by President Uchtdorf. Have a toy airplane and let a child hold it while you read what President Uchtdorf says. What is the point of safe return? What does the point of no return mean?
     "You are the captain of your life, and God has prepared a plan to bring you safely back to Him, to your divine destination. The gift of the Atonement of Jesus Christ provides us at all times and at all places with the blessings of repentance and forgiveness."
     Have paper airplanes up front with questions, scriptures & songs about repentance and The Atonement for the children to come up and choose.

Recycled Idea from Previous Post
*    Pass out a sheet of blank paper and some crayons. Invite the children to draw or write whatever they feel as you sing them a song. Sing Hymn #193 I Stand All Amazed. (Or have a special guest come in and sing) Invite children to finish and share their work while the piano player quietly plays the song. In between children coming up to the front and sharing, read scriptures having to do with the Atonement like 2 Nephi 9:21, Mosiah 3:7, Matthew 26:39, etc.* Have a few items on a table for a child to buy. Give them 5 tickets. All items for sale cost 100 tickets. Can they buy the items with 5? Lo siento cuate... it's a no go! This is called falling short. And likewise we, by ourselves, will never do or have enough tickets to get into heaven.
     "Each of us lives on a kind of spiritual credit. One day the account will be closed, a settlement demanded. However casually we may view it now, when that day comes and the foreclosure is imminent, we will look around in restless agony for someone, anyone, to help us. And by eternal law, mercy cannot be extended save there be one who is both willing and able to assume our debt and pay the price and arrange the terms for our redemption... But know this: Truth, glorious truth, proclaims there is such a Mediator. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and me, the man Christ Jesus. (1 Tim. 2:5)" (President Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, May 1977, 55-56)

Week 3 Because Jesus Christ was resurrected, I will be too.

* He is Risen Trivia/Jeopardy Type Game by yours truly... can be easily used for Family Home Evening too!  


Recylced Ideas From Previous Posts
* Have a picture of a sign "Dead End". What does this mean? Have a plastic toy bulldozer. How is Jesus Christ like a bulldozer? To some it may seem like when we die, there is no where else to go. But we know that there is more beyond the grave and Jesus has cleared the way because of His atonement and resurrection! Have the bulldozer run over the dead end sign!

* Have a teacher or another adult come to the front to help. Tie their hands together. What does that feel like? Can they do as many things with their hands tied? Mosiah 15:20 "But behold, the bands of death shall be broken, and the Son reigneth, and hath power over the dead; therefore, he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead." Cut the string. The teacher's hand is free now. How does that feel? The resurrection gives us hope, happy feelings and freedom!!

* Have something simple broken. Fix it with superglue. The resurrection will put the body and the spirit back together. Except it's something much stronger and more powerful than superglue because of who made it possible, Jesus Christ.

* A WONDERFUL short video to show "Sunday will Come", click HERE!!

Week 4 Jesus Christ is our Savior.

* Have a bunch of pictures of Jesus displayed throughout the room. Invite the pianist to play reverent music (Maybe I feel My Savior's Love CS#74) and let the children walk very quietly around to look at the pictures. Afterwards, have them sit and share some things they noticed and felt. Invite them to do that activity for their families and share testimonies at home about how they know Jesus is our Savior.

* Have older children write down their testimonies. This fills a Faith in God requirement.

* Invite the Bishop in to talk about how he gained his testimony of The Savior.

Recycled from Previous Posts
* Flip through a magazine. Let a couple children rip out a picture of a random person and stand in front holding the picture.  Can these strangers and random people be saved? HOW? Invite a child to recite the 3rd article of faith, emphasize ALL MANKIND.

* Foam Finger Pointer. ($1 at the Dollar Store or you can make a large one out of a grocery paper bag) Invite a child to come to the front and wear the foam finger. Sing -you can do it by yourself, invite the other adults or have the children open up page # 103 in the Hymn book and sing too! In Hymn # 103 Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer, there are some words that are repeated. Have the child wearing the foam finger point to a picture anywhere in the room that these repeated words describe. Children sitting down can also use their pointer finger when the repeated word is sung.
    What were the repeated words?
*   Have __________is my Savior and Redeemer. written on the chalk board. As children come in write their names all over the chalk board. When it's time to start, talk about some of the beautiful names on the board. Add a few more names to the list that they can think of. But what is the name that fills in the blank of our sentence?
     Read Mosiah 5:8 " ....There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives."
* Have a few children come up to the front. Have a blue towel, an airplane, a large rock... Sing Hymn # 104, Jesus, Savior, Pilot me. Have a child fly the airplane through the stormy waters (children waving towel) while holding the hand of another child who is holding a picture of Christ.
Talk about THIS story (Captain Sullenberger and US Airways Flight 1549) with the children. It even has pictures! Was he a pretty awesome Pilot? Just as that pilot saved the lives of so many people, Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer ready to lead us and pilot us to safety.
* Turn off the lights. Is anyone afraid of the dark? Has anyone had a scary experience in the dark? Joseph Smith sure did! Yet we know Jesus Christ saved Joseph Smith from the dark and that "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalms 27:1) Turn on the lights.
* What does Savior and Redeemer mean? Those are big words!

President's Day Singing Time

 This is a SIMPLE singing time idea!!

 

Show a picture of President Washington and President Lincoln to the children. They were great men!!

President Spencer W.Kimball quoted "Boys need lots of heroes like Lincoln and Washington." (April 1975)

What you will need:
A penny and A quarter
4-5 cups that are not clear

Hide the coins under a cup and mix them up. Sing a song. Invite a friend who was singing to come up front and try to find a coin. If they do then they get to read a quote by one of these great men.

Quotes include:
George Washington Quotes

• "I cannot tell a lie, father, you know I cannot tell a lie! I did cut it with my little hatchet."
• "I conceive that a knowledge of books is the basis on which all other knowledge rests."
• "Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder."
• "Doctor, I die hard, but I am not afraid to go."
• "Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth."
• "Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for 'tis better to be alone than in bad company."

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

• "A house divided against itself cannot stand."
• "God must love the common man, he made so many of them."
• "Everybody likes a compliment."
• "America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
• "As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy."
• "Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?"

Personal Reflections: AARP

*Disclaimer: After a comment I realized this post might be misconstrued in me trying to be political. I am not in any way shape or form saying that we should support or not support the AARP. 
My apologies.
 

 

Saturday I went to do a session in the temple. It was great! I was sitting by a friend from the ward.
A couple that I've known since I was a child took me through to the Celestial Room.

 

I always pray before hand so I can understand things more clearly or so that I can learn what Heavenly Father would have me learn. Within 30 seconds of the temple session, I had learned something knew. Something I've heard tons of times, but for the first time it stuck out to me.

 

And in all honesty, it may be that I'm just a weirdo.

 

Does being "alert, attentive, and reverent please" ring a bell?
AARP

Alert

Attentive

Reverent Please

 

Doesn't this apply to life really? In our day to day activities we need to make sure that spiritually we are alert for opportunities to learn and grow, attentive to matters of service & sometimes.... just a little more reverent please.

 

1. Alert for opportunities to learn and grow- First of all, how tiring is life sometimes. Literally. I go to the temple and when they dim the lights, it's not that I'm not interested or ready to have a great experience, it's just that I become lethargic and ready for a nap. Quite the opposite, in D&C 127:11 it says, "I now close my letter for the present, for the want of more time; for the enemy is on the alert..."
The enemy is alert, am I?

Alert is defined as "quick to perceive and act".

 

When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane He had asked His apostles to "watch". Some synonyms for alert include Argus-eyed (Percy Jackson shout out!), attentive, awake, observant, open-eyed, vigilant, wide-awake, on guard, on one's toes, on the ball. The opposite is "asleep". And what did the apostles do, they fell asleep. In no way am I judging them!! I just look at the experience and think how asleep I am when it comes to the gospel. Case in point. I've never been able to read through Jesus the Christ. I get to chapter 2 or 3 and I just can't handle anything anymore. However, 2013 is the year. I've actually gotten to chapter 5 and after pondering the meaning of being "alert" I had a great idea of how to make the words of the book become clearer... I read them with a British accent.

 

It may be just a dumb thought or it may be a loving Heavenly Father know how ADD I am and Him trying to help me. Either way I'm hoping to be more alert for opportunities to learn and grow.

 

2. Attentive to matters of service- I don't have a facebook account. I did. But I got tired of people's whining and cat stories. Plus it was a personal time waster. I get a lot more things done now. Although, pinterest is a whole different story. Why are you even reading this? I am so long winded!

Point. A definition for attentive is "heedful of the comfort of others".

Life is full of distractions.

If we think about it though, wouldn't it be awful if Heavenly Father wasn't attentive to us? In the scriptures, there are 3 verses that use the term "attentive" to beseech The Lord to be "attentive" to their prayers.

Heavenly Father is never distracted and He never leaves us comfortless.

John 14:18 " I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."

We may think we're being ignored, but we're not. Are we ignoring opportunities to push ourselves further? To serve more? Obviously, I'm not saying go start a soup kitchen. But I know for me personally, there is at least 1 thing I can add to my day to be more heedful of the comfort of others.

 

3. Reverent Please- We just finished the Percy Jackson series. We loved loved loved the books. Rick better not die before House of Hades and I heart Leo. However, I just didn't feel right about some of the phrases in the book that used the term "god", even referring to mythological figures, so you know what. We just skipped right on over those phrases and didn't take a second look.

We play music too loud in our car.

Laman & Lemuel's party boat was severely chastened when they didn't show enough reverence.

Speaking with "exceeding rudeness" they were almost drowned in the depths of the sea.

I know it's OK to play my music loud.... sometimes. But even more important is to raise the type of children that speak kindly and lovingly to one another.

How do we foster an environment of kind language?

A. Use it ourselves and set the example

B. Remind! Remind! Remind each other to speak nicely!

C. Make sure anything that will sink the ship be tossed overboard! Don't let outside influences affect the family in a negative way.

 

AARP. 

Beloved Elderly or an Acronym for Success.

Either way both very valuable.

 

I know God lives. I know He loves us. Every day we can be better.

This I bear testimony of in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

February 2013 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps & Ideas

Earth image courtesy creative commons license flickr.com by Beth Scupham July 2012

Monthly Theme: The Earth Was Created for Heavenly Father’s Children

Monthly Scripture: "We will make an earth whereon these may dwell; and we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them" Abraham 3:24–25

Week 1 Jesus Christ created the earth under the direction of Heavenly Father.

* Matt & Mandy are a favorite part of The Friend at our home. HERE is one of their cartoons that talks about the creation and how it is a miracle. It would be a nice attention activity to introduce the week's sharing time theme.

* HERE is a felt board of the creation. It's from The Friend and entitled, "The Creation, Each Day a Gift". You could have 6 boxes wrapped nicely with a felt piece in each one. Ask children to talk about how each part of the creation was a gift.

*After you go over the account of the creation, play a game of charades! A primary friend has to act out one of their favorite creations while the others raise their hand and then guess!

* This could be a good follow up after you've gone over the account of the creation for SENIOR PRIMARY. I based all questions off of Chapter 7 of Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual.

Creation Quiz by chulbakera

*Break out some play dough and let children share what their favorite part of the creation is.

* Invite a couple members to sing "For the Beauty of the Earth,” Hymns, no. 92. After they sing, have them share a photo of something The Lord has created that they are very grateful for.

* There is a TV commercial (that I would never show the primary, but I would discuss) that has a man in nature. He is breathing the fresh air and climbing a mountain with the city in the back. He smiles and asks, "What more could I need?" Then he thinks about a certain TV show, and another one, and another one... pretty soon he is running back to the city where the ending shot is him super happy on his couch with a remote control in hand.
Ask the primary children the following questions. First off, what do you think about this type of commercial? How does it make you feel? Why would it be more important to enjoy the creations of Heavenly Father rather than watching TV?

Since the world thinks TV is more important than nature, take a posterboard and draw an outline of a TV. Cut out the middle so a child's face can be seen behind it. Divide the children into groups and ask the children to come up with commercials to teach the world about the creation and why we should enjoy it!


Week 2 The Fall was part of God’s plan.

* What do you personally know about The Fall?? HERE is a good read for preparation this week! Also from Preach My Gospel is the suggestion:
"When first teaching this doctrine, do not teach everything you know about it. Explain very simply that God chose two of His children, Adam and Eve, to become the first parents on earth. After their transgression they were subject to both sin and death. By themselves they could not return to live with Heavenly Father. The Lord spoke to Adam and taught him the plan of salvation and redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ. By following that plan, Adam and his family could have joy in this life and return to live with God (see Alma 18:36; 22:12–14)." (Lesson 2)

* Do you have a child that belongs to you in primary? Invite your own child to fall back and you catch them. What would happen if you weren't there to catch them? Heavenly Father knew that Adam would fall and He provided Jesus to be our Savior.

* HERE is a wonderful visual. It's an article by Sister Esplin and an account from President Hinkley. After sharing with the children, give them 10 strips of paper. Have them work in partners to come up with 10 facts about The Fall. If they need help, send them to the Bible Dictionary!!! Afterwards, they can glue stick the strips together to make a chain!

* Ask a primary friend how they got into the primary room. Did they walk through the doorway? Who else in the room did so? Could we get into the room without the door? (Someone is going to bring up the windows... they just are. Be prepared. Counter back with, who would want to break a window to God's house and get hurt!!) Just like it was necessary for us to walk through the door to get to primary, The Fall was a necessary and very important part of God's plan!!

* Bring in a basket of things that give you lots of joy!! Have questions, songs and scriptures having to do with the fall attached to the items. Invite a primary friend to come up and choose one of your favorite things. Explain that the only reason we are able to have these things that make us happy, is because of Jesus Christ. He is our Savior! Invite the children to draw a picture of one of their favorite things and copy the scripture below it!!
“Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” (2 Ne. 2:25).

Week 3 I have been sent to earth to gain a body and to be tested.

* Bring in some measuring tools. Does anyone know how long a piece of paper is? What about the length of a primary friend's nose? We need a ruler, right?!?! How do we measure flour for a recipe? Is it important to measure? A little bit of a deeper question is, how do we measure knowledge? We cant put knowledge in a glass cup? If you are taught all about foxes and read 20 books about them.... how would a teacher measure how much you learned? A test!!! Heavenly Father sent us to earth to gain our body and measure how much we would learn and be obedient! In the pre mortal world we listened and prepared, now is our time to measure up!!

*  Display a picture of a human heart: "Have you ever thought to be thankful for your heart? Look at the job it’s doing. It’s pumping enough fluid every day to fill a railroad tank car, about 2,000 gallons (7,570 liters). Inside the heart are four sets of valves that open and close 100,000 times a day, more than 36 million times a year, and they don’t break. No man-made material—paper, plastic, metal, or steel—can open and close that many times, with that frequency, without breaking. Every organ in the body is so well designed and so marvelous in its function" Elder Russell M. Nelson Focus on Values Liahona Feb.2013
    Have about 15 paper hearts. On the back put different "tests" we might face in life. Invite a child to come up and pick a heart. They will have to say one thing they are grateful for about their body and then act out what they would do in that "test". For example: You are at school. A bully is picking on another student. What would you do?
    Our bodies are a miracle. Let's make sure we use them the best we can so we can return to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus.

* What is earth life all about? This is more for Senior Primary. Have a picture of the earth cut up in 7 different puzzle type pieces. Have the following scriptures from Preach My Gospel, one on each piece:

2 Nephi 2:21
2 Nephi 9:27
Mosiah 3:19
Alma 12:21–24
Alma 34:31–35
Alma 42:2–10
Abraham 3:25–26

Give a puzzle piece or two to each class. Once they have looked it up together, invite a primary friend to explain what their scripture talked about and put their piece on the board, trying to fit the puzzle together.

* Play a game of "My body can do that!" Of course, be sensitive to your primary needs!!! If you have a friend in a wheelchair or other special needs, DON'T PLAY THIS GAME. You don't want them to ever feel bad for something they don't have control over. Life is hard enough without common sense of teachers!!!
     With that said, the game is pretty simple.

----Can your body stand on one leg and put it's ring finger on the top of it's left ear?

----Can your body click it's heels 3 times, knees 3 times, elbows 3 times and nod 5 times?

----Can you roll your hands then quickly put them behind your back touching your pointer fingers?

    Why are we here on earth? Call on a primary friend who is REVERENTLY (it's OK to giggle, but it's not OK to be falling to the ground like a laughing hyena!) playing the game to look through the room for hidden papers about our life on earth. Once they read the paper, and answer a simple question about it, have them come up with something for My body can do that! Topics for the pieces of paper can be found from Preach My Gospel:
" - Our purpose in life is to find lasting peace, joy, and happiness as families and to prepare to return to live with God.
- We came to the earth to be tested (see Abraham 3:24–25).
- We gain a body of flesh and bones, but we are subject to physical death.
- God gives commandments. If we obey, we are blessed. If we disobey, we sin and receive the consequences.
- All sin must be paid for, either by ourselves or by Christ (see D&C 19:15–20).
- We make choices, and we all commit sin (see Romans 3:23).
- We have experiences that bring us happiness and also sorrow.
- We cannot overcome either physical or spiritual death without Christ."
Ask simple questions after they read the paper. (If they can't read, you say it and they repeat it!)
For example, Our purpose in life is to find lasting peace... what does that mean? What is something we can do to prepare to return to live with God?

* "Wow! That's amazing!! Game" Give everyone in primary a fascinating fact about the body. Give them about 3 minutes to reverently walk around the room and share their fact with others. If a primary friend can't read, walk up to someone who can!!! Invite friends to return to their seat and share a few amazing facts!!

Did you know the brain doesn't feel pain? Sneezes are faster than 100 MPH?!?!

Click HERE for more facts.

Wow! That's amazing!!!!! It's also amazing that Heavenly Father and Jesus love us so much. Invite primary friends to share times in their life when they've been "tested" and have succeeded with the help of Heavenly Father. To get thoughts started... has anyone ever had a rough day at school or had a time at home when they were tempted to do something and chose the right? Wow! That's amazing!! As children share, repeat some of the things they've said. Make sure everyone is listening while another child speaks!

Week 4 If I keep the commandments, I can live with Heavenly Father again.

*    From Gospel Principles Chapter 35, " When Jesus was on the earth, a lawyer asked Him a question:      “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:36–40).From these scriptures we learn how important it is for us to love the Lord and our neighbors. But how do we show our love for the Lord? Jesus answered this question when He said, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father” (John 14:21)." 

     Divide the primary into small groups. Give each group a heart. Have them come up with a way to show love for Heavenly Father and write down on the heart what commandment they are keeping. Have them come up with a way to act it out and have the primary then guess what commandment is on the heart. For example: A group of children kneel down in a circle together. On their heart they put family prayer!

* Similar to the Sharing Time Outline: What are some rules you have at home? School? What about traffic rules... is it good to drive through red lights? Did you know Joseph Smith had a rule?

    The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “I made this my rule: When the Lord commands, do it” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 160) 

    Have a couple paper bag puppets of examples from the scriptures who kept the commandments and some who didn't. Have children choose a puppet, put it on and briefly tell how that person did or didn't keep the commandments. What was their rule- The Lord commanded and I did it or I choose the wrong? Have paper bags for the children to make into themselves. Does anyone have a story they can share with their own puppet of a time they kept the commandments? Have them share. Bear testimony that if we follow the wise counsel of Joseph Smith's rule.... does anyone remember? That's right... when the Lord commands, do it! Then we will be able to live with Heavenly Father again.

* Have little envelopes with bows or if you want to be fancy, wrapped boxes. You'll need 11 total. In each box you will need to put one letter of the words ETERNAL LIFE. Invite children to come up and talk about different commandments The Lord has given us. Let them unwrap and put the letter on the blackboard. Invite the children to figure out the right order of the letters to find out what we can have if we keep the commandments!!

The Lord counsels us, “If you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God” (D&C 14:7)

* Invite 2 children up front. Tie one of their feet together, like a 3 legged race. Have them work together and walk across the room. When you tied their legs together did the other person HAVE to move their foot when the other person moved their foot?

D&C 82: 10 "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."

When we keep the commandments we're bound to get to heaven!!!

* HERE is a coloring page for younger children. It's always a great idea to review stories from the scriptures. Primary friends could easily act out the different ways Nephi kept the commandments!

Roll a Dice: Snowman Music Idea for LDS Primary

Here is a SIMPLE music idea!! 

What you'll need:

A die

Chalk & Eraser

Printed Out Game Sheet below

You can sing songs having to do with the week's theme. Invite a primary friend who was doing a great job singing to come up front and roll a die. On the first roll, that primary friend will draw a body corresponding to the number they roll on the chalk board. Sing another song! Invite another friend to roll the die and they will draw the corresponding face to the number they roll since they are second. 

It doesn't have to stop at one snowman! Build as many as you like.

This could also make for a simple Family Home Evening. Prepare some questions on any gospel topic you want. After a family member answers the question they roll the die and draw.

Roll a Snowman by chulbakera

January 2013 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps & Ideas

Christina, a child of God. One of the most beautiful He ever created!

Of course, I am pretty partial!

  

Monthly Theme: I Am a Child of God, and He Has a Plan for Me
Monthly Scripture:  "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" Romans 8:16

Week 1 God is my Heavenly Father. He knows and loves me.

* Have a child pick up a stick at one end and lift it in the air. Did the other end lift up too? It sure did! Flip it and lift up the other end.

“We are the children of God. That doctrine is not hidden away in an obscure verse. It is taught over and over again in scripture. These clear examples are from the Bible:

“‘All of you are children of the most High’ (Psalm 82:6).
“And: ‘We are the offspring of God’ (Acts 17:29).

Doctrinal truths are interrelated. There is an old saying that if you pick up one end of a stick, you pick up the other end as well. If you concede that we are His children, you must allow that God is our Father” (President Boyd K. Packer, in Conference Report, Oct. 1984, 82; or Ensign, Nov. 1984, 66–67).

* Have a volunteer come up front and start counting the number of hairs they have on their head.
Ok. If they can't count how many they have, at least tell us how many they have. They don't know?
Yet Heavenly Father knows!

D&C 29:25 "And not one hair, neither mote, shall be lost, for it is the workmanship of mine hand."
Matthew 10: 30 "30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered."

He knows us better than we know ourselves!!! Isn't that love... He wont even let a single hair of ours be lost!! Have a basket of things we use to do our hair- brush, comb, blow dryer, mousse, hair spray, bows, pins, gel.... Invite children to come up and choose an item. On it have questions, scriptures & songs about Heavenly Father for them to answer.

* Have some pictures of space. Ask the children if they have ever been star gazing. Invite a few to share their experiences. How did they feel? What was it like? Where did they go?

President Uchtdorf wrote a fabulous talk found HERE.
This quote especially applies:
"My dear brothers and sisters, it may be true that man is nothing in comparison to the greatness of the universe. At times we may even feel insignificant, invisible, alone, or forgotten. But always remember—you matter to Him! Brothers and sisters, the most powerful Being in the universe is the Father of your spirit. He knows you. He loves you with a perfect love.

God sees you not only as a mortal being on a small planet who lives for a brief season—He sees you as His child. He sees you as the being you are capable and designed to become. He wants you to know that you matter to Him. "

Invite children to draw pictures of themselves with Heavenly Father. Invite older children to write down things they would like to do with Heavenly Father or things they would like to talk with Him face to face. Remind the children that while we might not see Him face to face in this life, He will surely answer our questions we bring to Him in prayer!

* Write the following numbers on the board:

7,056,966,724

311,591,917

91,195

Does anyone have any clue why I'd write these on the board? What do you think these LARGE numbers might mean?
Well, according to google, the first number is how many people live on earth right now.
The second number is how many people live in America.
The third number is how many people live in Sparks, NV. (You can easily replace this number with how many people live in your city)

Is that a lot of people? If everyone in the world had a bottle of root beer and we sang that song backwards- 7,056,966,724 bottles of root beer on the wall... how long would it take for us to sing until we hit 1 bottle of root beer on the wall?? Probably a gazillion years!!!!! It's a huge amount of people on earth!!! And yet Heavenly Father knows EVERY SINGLE one of His children. Not to mention all those that have passed away before us!!!

Alma 26:37 "Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen."

Week 2 & 3 Heavenly Father’s plan is a plan of happiness.

* What is the purpose of life? You can adapt THIS IDEA by taking a life cereal box, filling it with certain colored pom-poms and then having the children choose one from the box and talk about that part of the plan of salvation.
Blue- Pre Mortal World
Red- Earth Life & Repeat John 17:3
Orange- Spirit World
Green- Judgement & Kingdoms of Glory

* Here is a great video. It is pretty fast paced, but the visuals are really fun and neat!

* HERE is a lesson from The Friend with visuals. I like the way it talks about maps. I would have a treasure map up front marked with hidden clues to the plan of salvation. I would cut up the pictures provided there for the clues. When they use the map and find the picture, we’d read the scripture and decide what part of the plan it is. Put all the pictures in order on the chalk board up front. What is the treasure? Our knowledge of the truth of the plan of happiness!

* HERE is another lesson from The Friend. It has a plan of happiness booklet the children can put together. Also a great idea of having stations to demonstrate the plan of salvation.

* HERE is a very simple diagram of the plan of salvation from The Friend. I really think children are capable though of understand a little bit more about the plan. For senior primary, a more in depth version of the plan can be found at scripturecompanion.com.
I really like it because it’s thorough, especially the scriptures on the bottom!! I feel like it’s important to teach children exactly what happens when they die. One thing to note is that the spirit world is actually located on the same world as mortality.
(President Brigham Young said: “Where is the spirit world? It is right here” (Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 376). And another tid-bit I added a box for the words partial judgement before spirit world. (Alma taught that when we die our spirits are assigned to a state of happiness or of misery (see Alma 40:11–15).)

I created a quiz version for children to fill out based on the scripturecompanion.com:

 Some recycled ideas from previous posts:

* HERE is an Ensign Article on how the Apostles suggest we teach our children about the plan of salvation. Definitely suggest you read it and pray over what they suggest to do!
 
* Have a small box of Lincoln logs. Invite a child to come up and build a house. Ask them questions like, why don’t you put the green roof sticks on the bottom? Why do you put long logs on the bottom and shorter ones on the side? How will you make room for windows? How long will it take you to finish? Thank the child and ask if anyone has ever built a real home or knows what goes into building a real home? Show a picture of a real house. Do they just stop by home depot with $100 and window shop for things that look good or do you think they make a list of supplies they need? When you build a real home do you need a plan? What is a plan? What is Heavenly Father’s plan for me?At the end of the lesson, come back to the idea that you are grateful Heavenly Father took the time to carefully think out each piece of our lives (hold up Lincoln logs). He didn’t throw us together and hope for the best, but He perfectly designed (hold up a picture of the real home) a plan that would bring us happiness.
There are actually a bunch more, all you have to do is click on plan of salvation on the left under labels.

Week 4 I have agency, and I am responsible for my choices.

 
* "There is a story told of an old Cherokee teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves. One is evil: he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”

He continued, “The other is good: he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you—and inside every other person too.”

Illustration by Allen Garns

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”By Elder Shayne M. Bowen (From the Sept. 2012 New Era)
 
Have 2 baskets. Put a picture of the wolf on each one, but label one “BAD” and the other “GOOD”. Have about 30 strips of paper cut individually. On them write things that would be either feeding the “bad” or the “good”. Pass out the strips of paper and let the children come up, one at a time, and share where they think it should go. A couple examples could include: “Dressing immodestly.” Or “Going to the temple often”

End with the question the grandson asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” and bear testimony we need to make choices that will always feed the good and help us return to Heavenly Father!!

*HERE is a crossword puzzle for the 2^nd article of faith. You could easily break into groups to do.

 

*HERE is a Sharing Time from The Friend on choices and accountability. I like the idea for younger children where they draw a picture of a smiley and frowny face. You then give them situations and they have to hold up what feeling you’d get in consequence to the choice.

*Take a piece of masking tape and make a road from the door to the front. At the front of the room, make a fork in the road with one piece of tape leading to one side and another piece leading to the trash can.

2 Nephi 2:27 "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.”

Using examples from the scriptures, let children walk the path and determine whether that example from the scriptures chose the path of liberty & eternal life, or the path of captivity and death. Examples could include:

Nephi gets the brass plates

Laman & Lemuel tie up Nephi on the ship to America
Enos prays for forgiveness and to know how to help his people
King Noah refuses to listen to Abinadi
The Nephites shoot arrows at Samuel the Lamanite

Invite the children to share an example from the scriptures you haven’t mentioned and then walk the path! What about in our own lives? Make up some scenarios and let the children follow the path. This could include:
I refuse to help out with family home evening

extra chores to help out my mother
I cheat on tests at school to get the best grade
I read my scriptures and pray daily

*Have a candle that is NOT lit. Ask a child to come up front. IF the candle was lit and they put their finger by the flame, what would happen? They would get burned!! Our choices always have consequences!! And we don’t want our choices to hurt us, we want them to help us!